Resources

The new Status of Women in the States website provides national and state-level data on women's progress in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the United States overall. The site is an interactive tool for leaders and the public to access information at the state level. Find grades and rankings for each state on Political Participation, Employment & Earnings, Work & Family, Poverty & Opportunity, Reproductive Rights, and Health & Well-Being, plus national and state-level data on Violence & Safety. The site is also the most accessible, comprehensive source of state-level data on women of color in the United States.

Latest Reports from IWPR

States across the nation vary considerably in their progress toward women’s employment and earnings equity. On the Institute for Women’s Policy Research 2014 composite index on employment and earnings—which includes four key indicators of women’s status in the workforce—the District of Columbia ranks first in the nation and West Virginia ranks last.
*Correction: An earlier version of this Quick Figures had the composite score for Maryland incorrectly listed as 4.40. With the change to 4.65, Maryland ranks second in the nation on the composite index, followed by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey. The previous rankings had Massachusetts listed as second, Connecticut as third, New Jersey as fourth, and Maryland as fifth.

The Well-Being of Women in Utah: An Overview
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Claudia Williams
(May 2014)

This briefing paper provides an overview of how women in Utah fare in key dimensions of their lives: earnings, education, and economic security; physical and emotional health and safety; and political leadership and participation. While it lies beyond the scope of the paper to address other key aspects of women’s overall well-being—such as faith and spirituality, family and friendships, civic and community involvement, and sports and fitness—the data provided here identify important areas of progress and challenges for Utah women and suggest policy directions that would benefit the state as a whole.

This special 25th Anniversary edition of the newsletter presents a review of IWPR's policy research since our founding in 1987.

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The Status of Women in Eastern North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Claudia Williams
(August 2013)

Women in Eastern North Carolina, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made significant progress during the last few decades, but more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. The majority of women participate in the labor force—often in professional or managerial jobs—and make important contributions to the economic health of their communities. Yet, in some ways women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in Eastern North Carolina, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

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The Status of Women in Robeson County, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Claudia Williams
(August 2013)

Women in Robeson County, North Carolina, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made significant progress during the last few decades, but more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. Women make important contributions to the economic health of their communities—nearly half of women in Robeson County are in the labor force—but women’s status overall still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in Robeson County, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

This report provides critical data and analyzes areas of progress for women and girls in Colorado
as well as places where progress has slowed or stalled. It examines a range of interconnected
issues affecting the lives of women and girls in Colorado, including economic
security and poverty, employment and earnings, educational opportunity, personal safety,
and women’s leadership. In addition to discussing the current status of women and girls,
the report tracks progress over the last two decades by comparing findings with those from
earlier status of women reports by The Women’s Foundation of Colorado and Girls Count
(1994) and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (2000). The 2013 Status of Women and
Girls in Colorado report also analyzes how the circumstances of women and girls differ
across Colorado’s regions and how women and girls in the state fare compared with their
counterparts in the nation as a whole.

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research has been at the forefront of research on issues and policies that affect women’s continued participation and leadership in society and politics. Through its analysis of the issues of greatest importance to women in society, IWPR has greatly contributed to social and policy changes. The research done by IWPR in the area of democracy and society across the years has shown the ways in which American society benefits from the advancement of women in leadership positions and women’s increased civic and political engagement. IWPR’s research also highlights policy changes that would help women achieve greater equity. IWPR continues to work both internationally and domestically to provide relevant data on issues of importance to women’s lives and has disseminated its research through various conferences to ensure that advocates and policymakers alike have the tools to enable them to participate in making policy changes that benefit women and their families.

This report provides critical data to identify both areas of progress for women in North
Carolina and places where additional improvements are still needed. The report analyzes
issues that profoundly affect the lives of women in North Carolina, including employment,
earnings, and education; economic security and poverty; health and
well-being; and political participation. The report also tracks women’s progress in
North Carolina over the last two decades (1990–2010) by comparing its findings with
those from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research’s 1996 report, The Status of
Women in North Carolina (IWPR 1996). In addition, the report examines the social
and economic status of women in different regions of the state as well as in the nation
as a whole. The data on women’s status that it presents can serve as a resource for advocates,
community leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders who seek to develop
community investments, program initiatives, and public policies that will lead to
positive change for women in the state of North Carolina and nationwide.

The Status of Women and Girls in West Virginia
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Ariane Hegewisch, and Claudia Williams
(March 2013)

This report provides comprehensive data to assess the progress of women and girls in West
Virginia and identify places where additional improvements are still needed. The report analyzes
issues that profoundly affect the lives of women and girls in the state, including employment,
earnings, and education; economic security and poverty; and health and
well-being. The report also tracks trends in progress in West Virginia (between 2000 and
2010) by comparing its findings with the 2002 report, The Status of Women in West Virginia
(IWPR 2002). In addition, the report examines the status of women and girls in five regions
of the state (Northern Panhandle, North Central, Eastern Panhandle, South Central, and
Southern) as well as in the nation as a whole. The data on women’s and girls’ status that it
presents can serve as a resource for advocates, community leaders, policymakers, and other
stakeholders who seek to develop community investments, program initiatives, and public
policies that will lead to positive change for women and girls in West Virginia and the nation
as a whole.

The Status of Women in Cumberland County, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D. and Claudia Williams
(February 2013)

Women in Cumberland County, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made significant progress during the last few decades, but more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. The majority of women work—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women make important contributions to the economic health of their communities. Yet, in some ways women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in Cumberland County, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

The Status of Women in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, P.D., Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and Youngmin Y
(January 2013)

Women in the Charlotte metropolitan area, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women work—many in professional jobs—and women are essential to the economic health of their communities. Yet, there are some ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This fact sheet provides basic information about the status of women the Charlotte area, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to childcare, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.

The Status of Women in Western North Carolina
by Ariane Hegewisch, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and Claudia Williams
(January 2013)

Women in Western North Carolina, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women work—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities. Yet, there are some ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in Western North Carolina—including Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, and Swain counties—focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.

The Status of Women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell Counties, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., and Youngmin Yi
(January 2013)

Women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell counties, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades, but more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. The majority of women work—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities. Yet, there are ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides information about the status of women in Alexander, Burke, and Caldwell counties, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

The Status of Women in Buncombe County, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., and Youngmin Yi
(January 2013)

Women in Buncombe County, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last
few decades, yet more remains to be done to elevate women’s status. The majority of women work—
many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their
communities. Yet, there are some ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all
women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women
in Buncombe County, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education,
poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information
about women in the county.

The Status of Women in Henderson and Transylvania Counties, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D.,and Youngmin Yi
(January 2013)

Women in Henderson and Transylvania counties, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women work—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities. Yet, in some ways women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in Henderson and Transylvania counties, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

Women in Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford counties, as in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women in these counties combined are in the labor force—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities. Yet, in some ways women’s status in these counties still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides information about the status of women in Cleveland, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford counties, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in this area.

Women in the western counties of North Carolina, and the state as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women in these counties work—many in professional and managerial jobs—and women are a mainstay of the economic health of their communities. Yet, there are ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in five western North Carolina counties—Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, and Yancey—focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides basic demographic information about women in the region.

The Status of Women in the Asheville Metropolitan Area, North Carolina
by Cynthia Hess, Ph.D., Youngmin Yi, and Alicia Sheares
(January 2013)

This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in the Asheville area (which includes Buncombe and Madison counties), focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.

The Status of Women in the Triangle Metropolitan Area, North Carolina
by Ariane Hegewisch, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and Claudia Williams
(January 2013)

This briefing paper provides basic information about the status of women in the Triangle area, focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.

The Status of Women in the Greensboro Metropolitan Area, North Carolina
by Ariane Hegewisch, Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and Claudia Williams
(January 2013)

Women in the Greensboro area, and in North Carolina as a whole, have made much progress during the last few decades. The majority of women work—many in professional jobs—and women are essential to the economic health of their communities. Yet, there are some ways in which women’s status still lags behind men’s, and not all women are prospering equally. This fact sheet provides basic information about the status of women in the Greensboro metropolitan area—including Alamance, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Stokes, and Yadkin counties—focusing on women’s earnings and workforce participation, level of education, poverty, access to child care, and health status. It also provides background demographic information about women in the region.